Infant garment



E- M. FERGUSON 3,

INFANT GARMENT Nov. 7, 1967 Filed Nov. 17, 1964 Z291? gig/4 bra INVENTOR. 5/64 M 7 5599050 BY United States Patent 3,351,062 INFANT GARMENT Evelyn M. Ferguson, 557 E. Grant Ave., Roselle Park, NJ. 07204 Filed Nov. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 411,801 Claims. (Cl. 128284) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The infant garment has a body portion and a holder portion which secures to the rear portion of the body portion and which passes through slits in overlying portions of the body portion for adjustable securement to adjust to the wearers proportions.

This invention relates to an infant garment. More particularly, it relates to an infant diaper. Still more particularly, it relates to a holder device for an infant diaper.

While diapers and diaper holders have been proposed, those of which are known in the art have had the shortcomings that it is relatively difiicult to insert and remove the diaper element and, in use, the holder tends to slip off the body of the infant, thus rendering the diaper somewhat ineffective and making the garment uncomfortable.

Another difficulty of the prior art diapers is that some of them have attempted to fasten the diaper element to the holder by means of a third piece of material. In such a device, the third piece contains a number of button means which are passed through the diaper element and holder means to secure them together. Thus, there is additional work needed to properly secure the diaper element to the holder.

Another difliculty with known holders of this character has been the lack of any provision for maintaining the diaper holders in efficient retaining position or tension.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved diaper and holder which has provision for easily inserting and removing the holder and which, when in use, posi tively holds the diaper in the most eflicient and cornfortable position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a diaper element which is of the well known tapered contour. Each corner of the diaper element has a slit therein and the rear of the diaper has a pair of snap fasteners attached thereto. The median portion of the diaper element is made of extra thickness gauze to provide absorbent characteristics. The side portions of the diaper element are made of stretch-knit material to provide stretch characteristics. A diaper holder comprising a pair of strips crossed over each other and stitched together is made of stretch-type fabric in its intermediate portions and non-absorbent material at its ends. Each strip has a snap means at one end thereof and a snap fastener at the other end. Adjacent this other end but spaced therefrom are a plurality of snap means aligned along the strip.

The rear corners of the diaper element are wrapped around an infants waist so that the slits of the rear corners overlie the slits of the front corners of the diaper element. The holder is fastened by means of the snap means to the snap fasteners on the rear of the diaper element. The holder strips are then passed over the shoulders of the infant and the ends of the strips passed through the slits of the rear and front corners of the diaper, respectively. These ends are then looped up to engage the snap means on the strips by means of the snap fasteners located on the strip ends.

A plurality of snap means are provided on the holder strips to allow for adjustments depending upon the size ice of the infant being clothed. The stretch-knit portions of the diaper element as well as the stretch-type fabric of the holders provide for adjustments in size and further provide a snug fit of the diaper element on the infant.

The nature and substance of this invention as Well as its objects and advantages will be more clearly perceived and fully understood by referring to the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved garment in the position which it assumes when being worn.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the diaper portion of the improved garment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the holder portion of the im proved garment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, especially FIG. 2, the diaper 1 has a generally rectangular shape with an enlarged rear portion 2 and a reduced central portion 3. The front portion 4 and rear portion 2 each has a transverse slit 5 in its respective corners. Also, the rear portion 2 has a pair of snap fasteners 6 secured to the mid portion thereof. The median portion 7 of the diaper 1 is made of extra thickness gauze to provide absorbency while the side portions 8 are made of stretch-knit material to provide stretchability. These side portion 8 will insure a neat fitting garment when in use. Referring to FIG. 3, the holder 9 is made of a pair of crossed strips 10. Each strip 10 has an intermediate portion 11 of stretch-type fabric and end portions 12 of nonabsorbent material. The rear portion of each strip 10 has a snap means 13 secured thereto. The front portion of each strip 10 has a plurality of snap fasteners 14 secured to the intermediate portion and a snap means 15 secured to the end thereof. The strips 10 are crossed over each other, as shown, and secured thereat by stitching or other suitable means.

Referring to FIG. 1, the diaper 1 and holder 9 are shown in assembled condition. In order to assemble the garment the rear portion 2 of the diaper 1 is placed on the rear of an infant so that the enlarged portions extend around the infants waist. The front portion 4 of the diaper 1 is brought up to a position which underlies the corners of the rear portion 2 thus arranging the central portion 3 to extend between the legs of the infant. The slits 5 of the front and rear portions 4, 2 are arranged to overlie each other, respectively. The holder 9 is secured to the rear portion 2 of the diaper by means of the snap fasteners 6 engaging the snap means 13 in locking relationship. The strips 10 are arranged to cross over each other at a point near the infants back and to pass over the infants shoulders. The front end portion 12 of each strip is passed through the overlying slits 5 of the diaper 1 and turned back on itself so that the snap means 15 on its end is secured to one of the snap fasteners 14 on its intermediate portion, as shown in section in FIG. 4.

Adjustability of the holder 9 is provided by reason of the plurality of snap fasteners 14 on its front portions and by reason of the intermediate portions 11 of stretchtype fabric. This, along with the diaper side portions 8 of stretch-knit, will insure a neat close-fit of the assembled garment without the danger of any part of the garment falling off of an infant.

While I have thus described my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details described, as changes may be readily made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A garment comprising:

a body portion and a holder portion connected to said body portion;

said body portion comprising a generally rectangular piece of fabric having a front portion, a reduced central portion and an enlarged rear portion; each corner of said rectangular .piece of fabric having a transverse slit therein;

the longitudinal mid-portion of said rectangular piece of fabric being of extra thickness absorbent gauze and the longitudinal side portions of said fabric being stretch-knit fabric; said rear portion corners overlying said front portion corners so that said rear portion slits overlie said front portion slits;

said holder portion comprising a pair of fabric strips secured at one end thereof to said rear portion of said body portion, the other end of said fabric strips passing through said overlying slits and adjustably secured to an intermediate portion of said fabric strips.

2. A garment according to claim 1 wherein said holder portion fabric strips comprise an intermediate portion of stretch-type fabric and end portions of non-absorbent material.

3. A garment according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of snap fasteners are secured on said body portion rear portion, and a snap means is secured to said one end of each said holder fabric strips, said snap means being secured in said snap fasteners.

4. A garment according to claim 3 wherein said snap means are secured to said other end of said holder fabric strips and a plurality of second snap fasteners are secured to said intermediate fabric strip portions;

said snap means secured in one of said second snap fasteners.

5. A garment according to claim 4 wherein said holder fabric strips cross over each other at intermediate points thereof and are secured to each other thereat.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,366,440 1/1945 Clifford 128284 2,657,689 11/1953 Kay 128-484 2,854,979 10/1958 Turner et a1. 128287 3,224,446 12/1965 Gore 128-284 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

C. F. ROSENBAUM, Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT COMPRISING: A BODY PORTION AND A HOLDER PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID BODY PORTION; SAID BODY PORTION COMPRISING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR PIECE OF FABRIC HAVING A FRONT PORTION, A REDUCED CENTRAL PORTION AND AN ENLARGED REAR PORTION; EACH CORNER OF SAID RECTANGULAR PIECE OF FABRIC HAVING A TRANSVERSE SLIT THEREIN; THE LONGITUDINAL MID-PORTION OF SAID RECTANGULAR PIECE OF FABRIC BEING OF EXTRA THICKNESS ABSORBENT GAUZE AND THE LONGITUDINAL SIDE PORTION OF SAID FABRIC BEING STRETCH-KNIT FABRIC; SAID REAR PORTION CORNERS OVERLYING SAID FRONT PORTION CORNERS SO THAT SAID REAR PORTION SLITS OVERLIE SAID FRONT PORTION SLITS; SAID HOLDER PORTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF FABRIC STRIPS SECURED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID REAR PORTION OF SAID BODY PORTION, THE OTHER END OF SAID FABRIC STRIPS PASSING THROUGH SAID OVERLYING SLITS AND ADJUSTABLY SECURED TO AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID FABRIC STRIPS. 